


When Tomorrow Comes

by orenjikitty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Acquaintances to Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, Gen, Magical Elements, PTSD, Slow Burn, Stardew Valley AU, Supernatural Elements, Witches, farming au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-03-06 02:18:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13401366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orenjikitty/pseuds/orenjikitty
Summary: [Stardew Valley AU] Tired and frustrated with her work, Fareeha makes a bold decision to quit her job and start fresh. Packing everything that she has, she moves to her grandfather's old farm out in Pelican Town, hoping for a brand new beginning. It seems she wasn't the only one who had the same idea, as she comes to learn of the town's new doctor.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've been toying with this universe for a long, long time. I've always wanted to publish a story for SDV but never got around to it because Overwatch happened shortly after it was released. I still managed to clock close to 300h on SDV at this point.
> 
> I know I have other stories I should be working on but I don't have the same drive to write those as much as this. So enjoy. Thank you to bzarcher for proofreading the story.
> 
> Jan 22: Edited some minor changes to the story. Harvey didn't go to the military. He is the town dentist. Angela is the town doctor.
> 
>   _When tomorrow comes_  
>  _I'll be on my own_  
>  _Feeling frightened of_  
>  _The things that I don't know_  
>  _When tomorrow comes_  
>  _Tomorrow comes_  
>  _Tomorrow comes..._  
> 

Angela hummed as she took stock of the medication she still had in the back. She would have to place her regular order for the new year but it never hurt her to check before filling out the form. Her stock levels weren’t in the worst of shape, given the flu that went around just before the Feast of the Winter’s Star but with the ever changing weather, especially here in the Valley, she knew she had to be prepared.

“I’m done with the front, Angie,” she heard Maru call out as the girl poked her head in from the front. “Left the order form on the counter for you.”

“Thanks, Maru. See you on Tuesday, ja?” Angela asked with a smile. Maru nodded before waving goodbye to her. “Careful of your walk home.”

“It’s Pelican Town, Angie. Nothing ever happens here,” Maru joked as she left the clinic. “See you later at the Saloon.”

Angela smiled, turning back to her task before picking up the form Maru had prepared. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen weren’t too low but naproxen was. She fill it out with the rest of what she needed before grabbing her coat and scarf.

The decision to move to Pelican Town had been out of the blue for her. She had heard of the opening through the local doctor, Harvey. He had been the town’s resident dentist, often performing the check ups as well since no one seemed to want to move to the area. She saw the official posting for it, many other doctors passing it up since it was too far from everything, even the closest city, Zuzu, was a good 3 hour drive.

Angela sighed as she took the quiet town square in, the lone road with two very small exits on either side of the town rarely rumbled with vehicles. It was quiet, serene and best of all, it was nothing like her former life in the city.

The town lights flickered on as she walked to the Pierre’s next door, dropping her order of medication off at the lone post box. She was warned by Robin, the local carpenter and handy woman, that it would be best to stock up in the beginning of the year and again in the summer because deliveries to their town was few and far between.

_ “We get by though,” Robin said with a chuckle. “Being surrounded by the mountain then the sea, we do surprisingly well. Even our cell phone service isn’t too bad.” _

While it wasn’t Zuzu or even Zurich where she was originally from, she had grown to like her new surroundings. Pelican Town was small, with only a handful of houses and stores within the town itself, only 2 more outside of it. Harvey had allowed her to use his home as her living, finally moving into the cabin with his fiance Elliot down by the sea. They share the workspace forming an amicable, professional partnership.

Angela looked at the back of the saloon, the town’s normal gathering spot for the New Year and sighed. She didn’t want to be early, the celebrations only starting a couple of in a couple of hours. Gus and Emily would entertain her no matter what but she didn’t want to be in their way as they prepared what would be a generous feast for the town.

Pulling her jacket a little tighter around herself, she decided to take a long walk up to the unused community centre at the top of the hill, wanting to sit at the swing set before going back down. “Joja would pay you handsomely for this property, Mayor,” she heard as she got up the stairs. “Just say the word.”

Angela saw Lewis glare at the Joja executive, Morris, shaking his head. “No. Never. This is part of our town, our community. I would never sell it off.”

“Never say never, Mayor,” Morris offered, a small smirk now on his face. “We can make that rat problem go away, amongst other things.”

“The mayor said no, Morris,” Robin advised, stepping just in front of Lewis. “We’ll find a way to get rid of the rats and restore it, without Joja’s help.”

“As fine as a carpenter that you are, Robin, I think this might be a bit of an undertaking, even for you,” Morris said with a laugh. “But so be it. You have my number, Mayor Lewis, if you ever change your mind.”

Morris turned around and smiled at Angela, Angela keeping a straight face before walking over to Lewis and Robin. “The nerve of that man,” Robin said.

“Slimy is what he is,” Angela said, joining the two. “What was that about?”

“Joja’s been asking for years that we sell them the community centre,” Robin explained, Lewis going to the front of the locked doors. “They want to use it for a warehouse.”

Angela frowned at the news. “We don’t have a lot of funds in the town to actually redo it. Joja is offering significant money for it,” Lewis said. “I’ll tell ya, I’ve been tempted to give it to them, just to help the town coffers,” he sighed, taking off his hat to scratch his head before putting it back on. “But I can’t just sell it. It’s part of our town.”

Angela nodded, taking in everything with an understanding. “What was that I heard about a rat problem?”

Robin shrugged, waving her husband over as he came around the bend. “Not sure if it’s a rat problem or something else. Demetrius hasn’t seen any sort of rat droppings when he went in there to check.”

“The town is rich with magic though,” Demetrius offered, giving Robin a quick kiss on her temple. “It could be that. Maru and I will check it again in the New Year, now that we have some more equipment built.”

“Speaking of the New Year,” Robin said, poking Lewis on the shoulder. “Are you going to tell the doc yet about what we have to do?”

“Oh right!”

Angela raised an eyebrow at the two, Robin rolling her eyes as Lewis looked at her sheepishly. “He kept forgetting to ask you for your help regarding the old Amari Farm.”

“The one on the west end of town?” Angela asked, having heard about the sizeable property tucked away by the far exit. “What about it?”

“Well, an Amari is finally moving back here, after so many years,” Lewis explained. “Fareeha is her name. She sent me a letter detailing her plans and we’ve talked about it. She’ll be here at the end of the week so we want your help to make sure it’s somewhat livable on there.”

“It’s been at least 3 decades since someone’s lived on that farm,” Demetrius added, Robin sighing beside him. “There’s some really good land on it, just overgrown. I’ll be helping to check if there’s any sort of hazards on the property itself but the health hazards in the house…”

“Is my expertise, got it.” Angela said. “What made the Amari’s leave?”

“Work, like most people.” Lewis replied with some sadness in his voice. “The fact Fareeha seems to have taken interest on the farm was a surprise from the sound of things, and I don’t want to assume, she sounded tired.”

“She was in the army too, like her parents,” Robin reminded Lewis, the mayor nodding. “Kent’s father and Samuel were best friends growing up.

Angela took the information in, a hush falling on the group. She smiled at the mayor, Lewis returning it easily. “I’ll be happy to help.”

“Good! We’ll come by and pick you up tomorrow. It’s still a good 30 minutes out of town so it’s best to go as a group instead,” Lewis replied, a loud grumble interrupting them. “Sorry. I forgot I skipped lunch.”

Angela narrowed her eyes but only ended up shaking her head. “I’m sure Gus would have most of the feast ready by now. Why don’t we all head down together?”

Robin and Demetrius nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“So you’re really doing this, huh?” Lena asked, holding the box together as Fareeha put tape on it. “This is a big move, Cap. Even for you.”

Fareeha sighed, looking out the window of her high rise condo. The streets were going to be filled with celebrants soon, most of them out of towners wanting to be in the big city to ring in the New Year. Somewhere down there, amongst the sea of people, was her ex-girlfriend, now with her new lover. She was happy for Satya, really. Olivia was a nice girl. Someone who can actually be there for her compared to the constant 12 hour shifts she had when she was at Joja. She wished she had done this earlier, back when they were still together but… “There’s nothing here for me anymore, Lena. I quit my job. I’ve sold this place. I…” Fareeha looked out on the street again. “I can’t do this anymore. This city… this life cost me so much. I think it’s time for a fresh start. Just get back to my roots, you know?”

“So you’re packing up everything, putting it in the back of your jeep and trailer and driving for a week to get to Pelican Town?” Lena said shaking her head. “I admire it, I honestly do but Pelican Town? That’s far.”

Fareeha shrugged, cutting the tape to seal the box. “Granddad had a farm out there. It wasn’t too bad when I went to visit. Didn’t realize he left it to me until I found his old letter.”’

“Do you even know how to farm?” Lena asked her, Fareeha gave the younger woman a shove. “It’s a legitimate question! I know this place made you a profit but you won’t have this money forever.”

“Since when are you the sensible one?” Fareeha teased, earning a shove back.

“Since this ring went on my finger,” Lena pointed to the band that now adorned her left ring finger. Fareeha only laughed, taping the sides of the box up before picking it up.

“I think I’ll manage. If not, I’ll find a way to make it work,” Fareeha said, putting the box with the rest. “I think that’s it.”

Lena looked around; the once cluttered condo now neatly packed away in boxes and storage containers, ready to be loaded into the trailer. “I can believe you sold this place…”

Fareeha shrugged. “It was good while it lasted.”

“But it was our hang out for soooo long,” Lena said, touching the now bare walls. 5 years, it was their joint place. Before Satya and Amelie entered their lives. Before Joja started sucking her soul away, demanding more and more from their chief engineer until she finally snapped.

Fareeha remembered her freaking out in this exact same space, pacing back and forth relentlessly while Lena and Amelie listened to her rant about work. How she hated it but kept at it because she felt an obligation to her team. How, that same night, she was just pushed too far and she had quit on the spot without thinking it through. How she had found the letter in her desk drawer once she got home, breaking down when she read her Grandfather’s letter. “I’m sure going to miss you, Cap.”

Fareeha pulled Lena in for a hug, both of them not saying anything. “Me too, Lieutenant.” They pulled apart, both doing the secret handshake they had perfected during the service before breaking out into a laugh. “Let’s go. I don’t want your wife to yell at both of us because we missed dinner.”

“She’ll yell at us no matter what!” Lena said grabbing her jacket. “I still love her though. Bloody good arse on that one.”

“Too much info, Lena!”

“What?”

* * *

Fareeha dropped off her set of keys at the front desk, looking around the building one last time. “I’ll sure miss you, Amari. You were always my favourite tenant.” Bhupinder said, giving her a final hug. The old doorman had always been nice to her, both him and his wife always counting on Fareeha to get them a coffee in the mornings as a pick me up.

“Tell Harbir I’ll miss you too, okay?”

“I certainly will, my friend.” Bhupinder replied, placing a small bag of sweets into her hand. “Take care of yourself, Fareeha.”

“You too, Bhupinder.”

Fareeha exited the building one last time, finding Lena with Amelie waiting by her Jeep already. “Guess this is goodbye.”

“For now,” Amelie said, handing Fareeha her coffee back. “We’ll come visit you, Amari. Don’t worry.”

“Hopefully they have good mobile service there,” Lena uttered, brows coming together in thought. “You’re not changing your number right?”

Fareeha laughed, taking the coffee before ruffing Lena’s hair. “I probably have to but you two will be the first to know.” She pulled both women into a hug, Amelie and Lena returning it gladly. “I’ll miss you guys so much.”

“Without you, Fareeha, we wouldn’t have met,” Amelie said, tears already welling up in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Fareeha smiled, letting out a deep breath before pulling away. “I should go. It’s a long drive.”

“Check in when you can, okay?” Lena said, wiping some of her own tears.

“I will.” Fareeha said, rounding the car, giving them one last smile before entering her car to start driving away. She looked back, Amelie and Lena still watching the car before she saw Amelie take Lena’s hand to lead them back to their own place. With a heavy sigh, Fareeha turned her signal on, heading towards the highway and towards a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There probably wont be much more OW cast coming in beyond Jesse McCree and Ana (both are a LOT later in the story). I will tag the fight scenes as I get to those chapters seperately along with the magical stuff.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	2. Progression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support on this. I do hope it lives up to high expectations. If you've never heard of Stardew Valley, it is an amazing farming game all done by 1 man. It's reasonably priced for a game that allows you to do so much. 
> 
> Saying that, I am no way affiliated with Concerned Ape. Some of the lines in the story is directly from the game but others, I've taken out or edited so that other characters said it instead. Also, after some careful consideration, playing with the SDV planner and asking friends, I've decided to use just the default map in this story. It just made more sense to even those who are starting out and it offers the most land I want to use for the story.

Angela stifled a yawn, pulling up her cardigan tighter as she waited for Robin to come and pick her up. There wasn’t much to do this early in the New Year, most people opting to have their check-ups later on in the day, freeing her morning to help out with setting up the old farm.

She watched from the window as the same daily routine played out before her; Shane made his way towards to Joja Mart, the man clearly avoiding looking over to the clinic as he passed by. Penny sat quietly under the cherry tree, reading whatever book she recently borrowed from Gunther. Angela knew that in a couple of hours, the young woman would be teaching the younger children of the town (really there was only two of them) some of the basics before they headed to school in a couple of years.

Angela smiled as she heard the rumble of Robin’s truck, the blue vehicle stopping at Pierre’s to drop off some items Robin must have found. She finished her coffee quickly, returning the mug to her quarters to rinse later before hearing the knock on the door as she was heading back down. “Coming!” Angela cried out, grabbing her jacket and keys before checking the clinic one last time.

“Morning!” Robin greeted, portable coffee cup raised as a part of greeting. “Ready to go?”

“Sure am,” Angela replied, opening the passenger side door. “Let me guess, Sebastian?”

Robin sighed, head hitting the top of her steering wheel. “I...I just don’t get it. I want him happy. He just doesn’t want to listen to me. He was up all night again, playing those games of his.”

“It’s kind of his job,” Angela reminded her, the topic of Sebastian and his current career choice of “streaming” not really accepted by his mother. Yet. Angela understood Robin’s worries. But she understood where Sebastian came from as well.

Robin huffed, “Guess I’m just too old to be hip.”

“You’re only a few years older than me,” Angela reminded her. “But we’ll leave that for our usual coffee hang out. For now, topic of the hour is this mystery city slicker turned farmer.” Robin laughed as Angela turned at her seat. “She’s coming today then, this Fareeha?”

“Yeah,” Robin said, starting up the truck once again. The engine rumbled to live, sputtering slightly as Robin shifted it into gear. “She checked in with Lewisa 2 days ago, when she was still a province away. Probably won’t be here ‘til late in the afternoon, if not well into the evening.”

Angela hummed in acknowledgement, watching as the scenery of the woods pass them by. The farm was closer to the west end exit of the town, the one rarely used by villagers and delivery personnel. The bus terminal barely saw visitors due to its limited service. She couldn’t remember the last time it was used aside from her arrival to the town. She distinctly remembered passing the desert and a small gas station on her way here but not much else. She saw the exit, the ticket booth now gathering dust and cobwebs. “Do you think they’ll ever restart the line here?” She asked Robin, seeing Robin shake her head.

“It didn’t make sense to keep it, according to the governor. Put Pam out of work since that was her route. She knew that route like the back of her hand. It’d take a miracle to restart it.”

Angela turned her attention to the road in front of her, Robin turned onto the farm’s dirt path, the truck rocking as it made its way through the mixture of dirt and gravel. Angela spotted the house, newly painted exterior still throwing her off compared to how it looked earlier in the week.

She remembered how it looked; wooden panels had been eaten away by time and termites. The house being fumigated tore into the already tight schedule but it had to be done. New floorboards, new electrical and new windows all were put in at break neck speed after that, Robin and her crew pulling in shifts to get everything up to code and a livable state for today. Fareeha apparently covered most of the expenses to fix up the place, Angela wondering what the mysterious new neighbour did for a living before this sudden move.

Robin put the truck in park, immediately swarmed by her crew for a plan for the day. Angela left the woman to her work, opting to seek out Demetrius and Lewis.

“Have you seen the mayor?” she asked one of the carpenters as he passed.

“He and Demetrius went to the far end of the lot,” the man replied, pointing to the wooden planks that made a makeshift walk way. “The mayor said something about visiting an old friend.”

Angela smiled and thanked the man, wondering if she should do her final check already. She looked at the house and at the path, deciding to see what the mayor had meant. Following the path, she heard the voices of the Mayor and Demetrius as she approached, both of them looking at a caved in greenhouse. “Such a shame,” Lewis said, taking his cap off to scratch his head. “I don’t think we’ll be able to fix that up.”

“Not this close to her moving in, no,” Demetrius agreed, turning and smiling at Angela. “You’re both finally here.”

“Robin got sidetracked I guess,” Angela said, looking at the sight before her. Glass still littered the the floor of the greenhouse, the fallen tree still pretty much on it. She looked around her, noticing the small shrine a couple of meters away. “The old friend the carpenter told me about, I assume?”

Lewis and Demetrius followed her gaze, Lewis nodding solemnly. “Benjamin Roberts: Fareeha’s paternal grandfather. This land has been theirs for years, as far back as the town’s inception from what I recall.” Lewis looked around them, Angela watching him as he looked at the overgrown surroundings. “If only you could have seen this when Ben and I were young. His father, Fred, had rows upon rows of fruit trees. We used to climb them all the time to pick the fruit early. We would get into so much trouble for ruining the harvest.”

Demetrius and Angela nodded, letting the old man continue. “There as a wide open field where the animals would just graze. And now…” Lewis sighed, frowning at his surroundings. “I’m happy Fareeha will be taking this back, but it won’t be the same.”

“It might be better, who knows,” Demetrius said trying to lift up the mood. He turned back to the greenhouse and shrugged.  “Don’t think she’ll be using this anytime soon eh, Angela?”

“I don’t think that’ll her primary concern,” Angela pointing out to the trees and wild grass. Fareeha would definitely have her work cut out for her in any case. “Are you sure she’ll still be able to use this land?”

“With enough time, yeah,” Demetrius responded, kicking what looked to be a remnant of a salt lick on the ground. “There’s a lot of good land under all of that. She’ll need some help clearing that out but lumber is needed around these parts. I don’t think she’ll have a problem selling that.”

“And the rocks?” Angela asked, eyeing the significant sized boulder nestled beneath a tree. Demetrius shrugged, giving her an easy smile.

“Just think about it this way, doc. At least it’s not us clearing this place up.”

“But we are!” Angela argued, only to get another laugh from her fellow scientist.

“We cleaned up the house. Not the outside,” Demetrius replied. “But don’t worry. If she needs the help, I’m sure we will all pitch in to help her.”

“You seem confident that she’ll be friendly,” Angela commented, turning back around. “I’ll do my final checks in the house. See you in there.”

Demetrius and Lewis watched at the doctor walk back down the path, taking a quick glance back behind to the shine. “Are...Are we going to tell her?”

“About the residual magic or about the Amari’s true form?” Lewis asked, scratching his head.

“Both, actually,” Demetrius replied, stifling a yawn behind his palm. “Does Fareeha even know about her family’s lineage?”

“Ben would have left something to Fareeha. I hope.”

“And if he didn’t?”

Lewis looked at the shrine, its relief etched with the language of the ancient Junimos. It was indecipherable to anyone but the valley’s residents, but soon, they would have to tell Angela about it. “We’ll give them some time. If Rasmodius’ hunch is correct, then they’re exactly who we’ve been waiting for.”

* * *

Fareeha yawned as she browsed the plants section of the local shop. While she did enjoy most of the drive across the country, the continent really, it was nice to stretch her legs a bit. She found the seeds she was looking for, along with some starter berry bushes, now only missing the last item on her list.

She had taken it upon herself to research as much about plants, farming and horticulture as she much as she could, filling almost 3 notebooks full with extensive notes, graphs and growth timelines. Every night so far, she had fallen asleep to a different book and she’s pretty sure she was ready for the spring, at least. It still filled her with a sense of dread that she might be in over her head. This wasn’t her vocation after all.

Sure, she enjoyed the outdoors as much as she could but Fareeha was an engineer; aviation software being what she specialized in, not farming. Her father moved to the city, away from her grandfather for a reason to pursue the exact same thing. Her father’s early passing meant little to no visits out to visit her grandfather again, Ana’s job not helping keep in touch with the old man. The frequent relocation needed being a soldier, something Fareeha did too, to a lesser degree, strained the relationship and it was already too late to be reconciled by the time of his passing.

But her relationship with her mother was another story. It didn't matter anyway. She learned from all of that. Fareeha closed her eyes briefly, muttering something quietly to herself before going back to her task.

“Excuse me,” she stopped a bored looking teenager with a name plate. “Do you have some fledgling fruit trees?”

The boy shrugged, motioning for her to follow him to the closest computer terminal. “This early in the season, no, ” he said after typing her query in. “We should get them in next month.”

She nodded, looking back at the farming section of the store. While she did have the money to spare, she knew already that equipment for the farm would take most of it. She frowned at the prices of tractors, harvesters and tillers all tallying up to more than she had budgeted out. “Anything else I can help with?” she heard the boy ask.

“No...wait yes,” Fareeha said looking around. “Where are your electrical tools?” The boy looked at her curiously, no doubt seeing what’s already in her cart. “I kind of have an idea I want to build. Early retirement and all,” she fibbed, giving him an easy smile.

He sighed, moving past her and motioning for her to follow him. “This way.”

* * *

Fareeha had forgotten how much the temperature changes as she drove up towards the town. 100 km north east was an expansive desert, only a small gas stop and casino/inn occupying its harshness. As she drove, she started to remember the some of her trips here with her grandfather: how she would run around in the sand, collecting pebbles and rocks that struck her fancy. She turned off the highway, passing a familiar gas station, now seemingly more run down than before. _Pelican Town, Next 2 exits_ the sign read, Fareeha sighing in relief as she moved over to the next lane.

She was the only one to get off at the exit, a familiar calm setting in as she wove down the path, GPS losing its signal midway. “Damnit,” she muttered to herself as she pulled over to the side. “Work damn you.”

A large blue truck pulled up beside her, flashing its lights before the driver rolled down her window. “Let me guess, Fareeha right?” a red haired woman asked, bright smile on her face.

“Uh...yeah?” Fareeha admitted hesitantly.

“I’m Robin! The local carpenter in these parts. Mayor Lewis asked me to come get you, since he said you might get lost,” Robin explained with a chuckle. “GPS is super spotty here so we figured we’d just wait for ya.”

Fareeha looked and saw a younger woman, glasses on her face wave at her from the other car. “He’s over there now, tidying up the place. Come on, we’ll lead the way.” Robin said, backing up to turn down the dirt path. Fareeha followed slowly, the area coming back to her slowly. She wondered if the fish pond was still there or if her grandfather actually managed to finish the bigger pond she had bugged him about when she was younger.

Robin stopped at the gate, allowing her to pass as the carpenter turned around and climbed out of the truck. Fareeha parked herself short of the house, waiting for Robin and the younger woman to join her. “This is Maru, my daughter. She’s the local nurse at the dentist and doctor clinics.”

“Nice to meet you!” Maru greeted. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you since Mom and Lewis told me about you.”

“Pleasure to meet both of you,” Fareeha responded, shaking both outstretched hands. “Thank you for your hard work, Robin. I know it must have been tough trying to fix up this old place in such short notice.”

“My crew does amazing work,” Robin said with a smile, “I actually owe them some beers still. You’re welcome to join us at the saloon later, if you want to.”

“Thanks but…” Fareeha look around her surroundings, weeds, wild grass and small shrubs littering the place. “Oh my god!”

“Yeah…” Maru piped in, grabbing the set of tools that seemed to have been left by a collection bin. “Yeah...it’s a mess.”

Robin sighed. “Sure, it’s a bit overgrown but there’s some good soil under all that mess. With a little dedication, you’ll have it cleaned up in no time.”

“More like a lot of dedication,” Maru muttered, making Fareeha laugh and Robin glare at her daughter.

“I like your honesty, Maru,” Fareeha admitted as she scanned the farm once again. They heard the front door open and shut, Lewis waving at them from the porch. “Ah you must be Lewis.”

“And you must be Fareeha, the new farmer,” Lewis greeted, shaking Fareeha’s hand. “Everyone’s been asking about you. It’s not everyday someone new moves into town.”

“They have,” Maru confirmed, “You’ll be the talk of the town of at least a couple of weeks. We haven’t had a new person move in since the doc did a couple years back.”

“That’s right!” Lewis exclaim, walking down the creaky steps of the porch. “So, you’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage. Big change from the city, I’m sure.”

“It has a very...rustic charm to it,” Robin added.

“Rustic is one way of putting it,” Maru piped in, earning an elbow from her mother.

“Be nice," Robin whispered but Fareeha heard her anyways.

"It's fine. It's actually a lot bigger than my old condo so I'm sure I'll manage," Fareeha replied, taking the keys from Lewis. "Thank you for looking after it all these years."

Lewis smiled at her, "It was my pleasure. I'm sorry I couldn't really keep it up to the standards your grandfather had for it but..."

"No, it's fine. You did what you could and my family still has this..I still have this because of you. So thank you." Fareeha replied, giving Lewis a hug. "I look forward to living here."

Lewis, Robin and Maru smiled at her, Maru patting her on the arm. "If you need the help, just ask us. Or post something on the bulletin board in town."

"Also, we installed a new collection bin for you," Robin pointed at the large box on the side of the house. "Anything you could think of selling, just toss it in there. Lewis will come by once a day to pick it up or you can just go into town to sell anything off. Pierre will especially love you for fresh produce. He has a lot of seeds that you can probably get for cheaper too."

"Does he have some saplings? Like Apple or Cherry?" Fareeha asked, getting raised eyebrows from Robin and Maru.

"You can probably ask him if he can get some. Pierre is pretty resourceful." Maru advised, "But I already like the fact you're planting fruit trees. We're going to be good friends if you let me come by and pick some."

"Maru!" Robin reprimanded, Lewis snickering behind his hand.

"What? At least I asked compared to Abigail!" Maru defended, glaring at her mother. "You know I'm right, Mom."

"It's still bad to gossip about other people," Robin chastised the younger woman, Maru huffing as she turned back to pick up the tools.

“And with that, I think we best leave Fareeha alone. She’s had a long journey here after all.” Lewis said, ushering the mother and daughter towards their trucks. “You oughta explore the town tomorrow, if you feel up to it. Some of them are eager to meet you.”

“If you ever need help, just ask!” Maru repeated, giving Fareeha a grin. “Everyone helps out everyone here so don’t be afraid to ask any of us.”

“Maru has a point. But if you don't want to explore, at least introduce yourself to Pierre. He’s especially been looking forward to meeting you. He will be the main person that will be selling your stuff to the rest of us after all,” Robin said, leaning against the mailbox. “Even with Joja Mart in town, his stuff is still better.”

The mention of her former employer made Fareeha shudder. The motion wasn’t lost on Lewis but he kept a quiet facade on him. 

“There's not much mail delivery here so they all drop it at my house. I’ll come by in early in the morning to drop off any mail that might have come in,” Lewis explained. “We best get going. Gus is probably wondering why I’m not at the Saloon yet.”

“If you need a guide around town, Fareeha, let me know!” Maru shouted as she walked ahead of everyone else. “I especially want know about your drive here. Cross-Continent is not a laughing matter,” Maru added, hefting the tool bag up her shoulders.

“I’ll tell you all about it sometime,” Fareeha offered, walking with them to their cars. “I look forward to meeting everyone. Thanks, once again.”

“Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The house already being upgraded to the 1st upgrade made most sense for the story. It was also a way for me to burn the money Fareeha would have had. It also has the spouses' room already attached to the master bedroom and a small bathroom below the master bedroom as well. 
> 
> If any of you know the mods for SDV, I will be using the SDV Expansion for the basis of the town itself, with the gas station and the beach/diner area playing into the story even if they aren’t part of the regular game.
> 
> And yes, this will feel like it is set in Canada. Because BC feels right for this. So technically, it is Canadad.
> 
> Jan 27- Minor edits. I really need to stop editing fics on the bus...


	3. Running Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long time in between chapters. Work and life got its hold on my time but hopefully this makes up for it.

Fareeha woke up with soreness and still tired beyond belief. Maybe it wasn’t the brightest of plans to start unpacking and moving things on her own.

Or at least unpacking her bed first. That would have been the smarter idea.

But she woke up on her couch, blanket kicked off entirely, regretting it as she shivered from the early spring chill. There were still some boxes in the trailer and her Jeep but most of it was already inside. Putting them in their rightful place however….

Fareeha grumbled, patting the floor for her phone to take a look at the time. She frowned when she saw that it was only 7 am. She had hoped to sleep in, sleep for a lot longer but this would have been the same time back east that she would be waking up. Working from noon to midnight only eat lightly, blow off some steam in the gym before crashing to do it over again.

That was behind her now though, Fareeha reminded herself as she sat up. She was happy that she took the time to on actually sending most of her big furniture ahead, noticing the drafting table already set up in the den near the bedroom. She genuinely laughed when she read Maru’s note, gushing about the table and more modern furniture. She had spent quite a lot getting here, but now that she was here…

“Easy, Fareeha, easy,” she told herself as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes. “Coffee first. Shower second. Then unpacking. Then dealing with outside.”

With a plan in mind, she stretched out, putting her shirt back on before making her way to the kitchen to start the day.

* * *

Angela turned the sign over, not really knowing why she still did when the rest of the town knew her working hours by now. She pulled her track jacket on, checking to make sure her keys were still in her pocket before exiting the clinic. 

She waved as Shane passed by her, the man giving her a slight nod as he continued his way to his own work. Pulling her hair up to a high ponytail, she set her timer as she went about on her jog. 

It was something she had come to enjoy now that she had the time and the patience for it. She advocated for exercise all the time yet she could never find time for it herself. The move to Pelican town presented opportunities for her and a fresh start. No longer did she crave her go to cigarettes for stress, something she had relied on when she was still in the city. It was an awful habit that she told herself countless of times before that she would quit however the stress always made her go back.

The move to Pelican Town and the idea of having to drive to the gas station outside of town to get some was enough motivation for her to quit. There were barely any stress factors now, which also helped with quitting. Angela set off towards the beach, hoping to check on the crab pots she had left on the western shore, hoping for at least a small crab for dinner tonight.

The run towards the beach was quiet, Angela stopping her watch to take in the sun still close to the horizon. Checking her crab pots quickly, she frowned to find them full of trash instead. 

“Morning doc!” Willy called out. “Anything good?”   
  
“Just trash, unfortunately.” Angela said, emptying the crab pots again. “Welcome back, by the way. How was the fishing trip to the south islands?”

“Successful. I have some fresh caught tuna and halibut if you want some. Also some bait to fill those back up.” Willy offered, motioning back to his fish shack. “Some other fresh fish too.”   
  
Angela smiled, grabbing the trash to follow Willy back. “I’ll take some halibut and bait. We have a new resident in the valley, by the way.”

“Oh?” Willy asked, Angela tossing the garbage into the bin before entering the premises. “Anyone of note?”

“Her name’s Fareeha Amari. Just arrived a couple days ago. Hasn’t come by the town yet but she’s probably busy settling in to the old farm.”

“Amari, eh?” Willy questioned, getting a nod from Angela. “About time we had one of them back.”

“What do you mean?” Angela’s curiosity getting the better of her. “I know Demetrius has said that the valley has strong, latent magical energy but I haven’t seen it yet.”

Willy laughed, filling his pipe with some tobacco, making Angela frown at him. “Magic is very strong in these parts, doc. Always has been. The closer you are to the woods, to nature, the stronger the magic is. Cities have lost it. But out here…” Willy motions around him. “Merfolks are curious enough to play with our fishing lines, sometimes helping, sometimes stealing from us. We let them be. The forest and the old mine by the north lake have some of the strongest connections to the other beings. We leave them alone, they leave us alone for the most part.”

“Legends say that when the town was first built, the first inhabitants struck a truce with those who lived here before; spirits of the wild. For the settlement, they were to respect the surrounding lands and protect it. One of the founding families were the Roberts, and they were chosen by the citizens to be one the protectors. They’ve kept at it until...”

“Fareeha’s dad left,” Angela finished the sentence. “They protected the land from what, exactly?”

Willy’s look turned serious. “To put it lightly doc, monsters.”

“Monsters?”

Willy frowned, placing a dagger on top of the counter, the gleam of the steel telling Angela that it was laced with something. “For your sake, Angela, I hope you don’t ever find out.”

* * *

Fareeha wiped the sweat off her brow, smiling at the newly built furniture. She pushed the bookshelf against the wall, securing it before turning to look at the rest of the room. The books she had brought were still in boxes but the idea of putting them in their respective shelves put a smile on her face.

She looked around her, bed finally set up and made. It was a productive day but she knew there was still much more to be done. Opting for a break, she stretched her arms out, hearing the bones crack as she walked into the kitchen for some food. Frowning at the emptiness of it, she looked at the cooler she had filled before only to remember she had eaten her last frozen pizza yesterday. With a sigh, Fareeha grabbed her jacket to go outside, making sure to pocket her keys before she left.

The crisp mid-afternoon air blew as she looked at the property. Years of neglect had made a once lively farm into an overgrown forest. She noticed oaks and maples strewn about the yard, some smaller than others. Fareeha watched as a flock of birds fly high above her, settling down deeper into the woods as she made her way to her car.

The drive to town brought back some memories. How her grandfather and father would be chatting in a language Fareeha didn’t get to learn. She and Ana would be at the back, Fareeha watching the outside to see if she could spot some animals. Dirt road eventually turned into pavement, Fareeha turning towards the town proper.

She remembered the hill leading up to the community centre. How her grandfather would push her on the swings there and she was able to climb the jungle gym, urging her parents to watch her. The town was as quiet as ever, Fareeha opting to park near the doctor’s office to walk around town. 

Fareeha had heard that there was a new doctor in town, and from the sign, they weren’t in the office. “A. Ziegler - Physician. H. Myers - Dentist.” she read the sign out loud, taking note of the hours of operation. While she would have loved to keep her doctors from the city, they were on the other side of the continent, so that wasn’t an option. She’d have to transfer all of her stuff here, and she was relieved that there was at least both services in town.

Walking over the building on the right, Fareeha took note of the bulletin board, by passing it to enter the general store. 

“Welcome!” the man behind the counter said. “Oh! You must be the new farmer!”

“Hello,” Fareeha greeted, looking around before making her way to the counter. “Pierre, I assume?”

“Same one! Glad you finally meet you,” Pierre said, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to know that the farm won’t be going to waste anymore.”

Fareeha laughed uneasily. “I’ll try. It’ll be a lot of trial and error for sure.”

“My wife is no expert but she can give you some pointers if you need it. Evelyn too. She keeps the flower beds in the town.” Pierre advised, leaning against the counter. “Not having to get stuff in from other towns will be a huge plus for us, especially when the premier comes to visit. So, how can I help you today?”

Fareeha looked around the store. It was well stocked, she had to admit. “Just need some groceries. Meats, dairy, bread. Hoping to get back into cooking for myself again.”

“Busy in the city?” Pierre asked, showing her to where the dried goods were. Fareeha nodded, grabbing some rice and cooking oil, noticing how Fareeha’s eyes widen slightly at the prices. “I know it’s a bit more expensive. I try to make it fair for myself and my suppliers but I also have to compete with Joja down the road.”

Fareeha shuddered at the name of her former employer. “I wholly understand. I’ll gladly pay instead of paying those...pardon my language...but those assholes.”

“You worked for Joja?” Pierre asked, showing her to the selection of meats he had in a small frozen display case.

“Senior web design. Took too long to quit,” Fareeha said, grabbing some steaks and chicken thighs. Pierre nodded, both of them chatting about their dislike of Joja when the bell rang. 

“Pierre! Delivery’s here from Tyra’s!” a female voice called out, green dyed hair still chatting with someone beyond the door.

Pierre excused himself to join the woman, leaving Fareeha to grab her own supplies. She noticed the wall full of seasonal seeds with instructions to ask about easy to plant items in the back. “Oh hello!” she heard the same woman greet. “You must be Fareeha. I’m Caroline, Pierre’s wife.”

“Hello,” Fareeha said, shifting the items she held to shake Caroline’s hand. “Pierre has told me you have a green thumb.”

“That’s right. We have a small garden out back. I help with mostly accounting for the shop. I also teach the weekly workout sessions.”

“Work out sessions?” 

Caroline smiled and nodded. “Every Tuesday, me and most of the other ladies of the town do a work out session in the hall area attached to the house. Here, I’ll show you.”

Fareeha looked at her arms, Caroline giggling at the sight of her holding many of her groceries. “Tell you what, come by next Tuesday. You can join us if you like.”

“I just might.” Fareeha said, walking towards the counter. “Also, do you guys have any saplings? Like apple or oranges?”

Pierre smiled at her. “Funny you ask that, I just struck a deal with someone from 2 towns over. They have an orchard with some saplings. If you want, I could ask them for you.”

“Please do. I’m interested in fruits mostly.”

“Have a plan for the farm?” Caroline asked, helping her husband bag Fareeha’s groceries. Fareeha nodded, making her raise an eyebrow.

“How you do guys feel about wine?”

* * *

Placing the groceries in the back of her car, Fareeha took notice some odd jobs on the bulletin board. A request for fresh fruits seemed to be aged but there were some more recent ones asking for freshly caught fish and gems. “Oh! Hello!” she heard someone greet her from behind.

Fareeha turned around to see the smiling face of Maru, behind her someone half hidden. “Finally out and about huh?” Maru asked, Fareeha nodding. “Oh yeah! This is Penny. She lives near the river.”

Penny waved, Fareeha waving back as she focused her attention to the more outgoing of the two. “Looking up jobs?”

“Just browsing what was on here,” Fareeha admitted, noticing the saloon in the distance. “Care to join me for dinner, ladies?”

“I...I should get home. My mom would want food ready soon.” Penny replied, moving away from them. “It was nice to meet you, Fareeha.”

“Likewise.”

“Bye Pen! We’ll chat more tomorrow!” Maru cried out, turning to Fareeha. “I’ll join you if you want. I want to know about that drive.”

Fareeha chuckled, looking at her Jeep and the saloon before Maru waived her off. “If you’re worried about a ticket, don’t. Angie and Harvey wouldn’t care if you parked there overnight.”

“If you say so. What do you want to know about the drive?” Fareeha asked as she fell in step with Maru.

“What made you decide to do it? How was it? Like did you go cross the states then up the coast or through all the provinces?” Maru listed her questions enthusiastically, making Fareeha smile. “Oh get the fish and chips tonight. Trust me on that. Willy just came back and I saw him bring fresh haddock and so much fish.”

“Okay,” Fareeha said, opening the door to the saloon to let the other woman in. Fareeha looked around the establishment, taking note of the high bar stools, the tables and its current occupants. All heads turned to the door as Maru waved at the rest, Fareeha awkwardly waving as well.

“Well, this is a surprise. You must be Fareeha,” the man behind the counter said, placing the glass down to walk around the counter. “Geez, you’re taller than your dad!”

Fareeha was taken back by the comment. “You knew my dad?”

Gus nodded pointing over to the pool table in the other room. “He and I used to play on that old thing after every class. Went to high school with him and Kent from down the road. Glad to finally meet you.”

“Two fish and chips please!” Maru said, already seated at a table. “Em! Two beers too.”

“No. Just some water for me, thanks,” Fareeha corrected, the blue haired woman behind the counter nodding as she started to pour out the drinks. She turned back to Gus, waving the at the young woman who ordered for her.

“This one is a pushy one, aint she?” Gus said, Maru sticking out her tongue at him. “Let me get that food ready for you guys. You’re lucky you’re my goddaughter, Maru.”

“Thank you, Uncle Gus!” Maru called out, Gus just shaking his head.

Fareeha joined Maru at the table, watching as Gus disappeared behind the swinging doors. The other occupants of the bar seemed interested in her but didn’t say anything about it. Em came by shortly after she sat down with their drinks. “There you go. Nice you meet you Fareeha, I’m Emily.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Fareeha said, shaking Emily’s hand. “Nice place you guys have here.”

“Gus takes care of it. It’s been here for the longest time but Gus is really a wonder in the kitchen. Just wish he could get more recognition for it,” Emily replied. “Oh, I’m also the local seamstress so if you need something patched up, just tell me.”

“Good to know. What else is around here?” Fareeha asked, Maru setting down her drink after taking a sip from it. “Seems like there’s a some things I haven’t heard of before.”

“Well, outside of the general store, there’s a local blacksmith across the river.” Maru supplied. “Clint and Emily are actually engaged.”

“Oh congrats!” Fareeha said, Emily blushing at the praise. “Clint also helps manage tools and any sort of farming machines. He’s pretty handy when it comes to metal. Same way Robin and Leah work woods and clat. Also, he can open up any ores you find.”

Fareeha nodded, Emily going over to the surly man by the fire before checking on the woman at the bar. “So you wanted to know about my drive here?”

“Definitely!”

* * *

Angela eyed the blue Jeep parked just outside of the clinic, wondering whose it was. Harvey said it was already there when he reopened the clinic when he came in for Abigail and Sam’s dental appointments. She shrugged, walking over to Pierre’s to grab some supplies for her own dinner. 

“Hey doc,” Pierre greeted, restocking the shelves. “What can I help you with?”

“Rice? Just got some fresh fish from Willy earlier and I thought it might go well with it.”

“Did you meet Fareeha yet?” Pierre asked as he grabbed a sack of rice from the bottom shelf for her. “Seems nice. Good to know she has a plan for the farm.”

“No not yet. But hopefully soon,” Angela said as she grabbed some vegetables to cook with. “Thanks Pierre.”

“Anytime doc.”

Angela exited the shop, carrying the carrots and peppers, wondering what else to combine with them for her dinner. She heard a familiar voice in the distance, with a voice she’d never heard before.

“Honestly! I don’t see the reason for buying one when I’m certain I can build one myself.” Maru declared, a hearty laugh coming from her companion. Angela watched as the two got closer, Angela watching the taller woman beside Maru.

She wore a red bomber jacket, open to reveal an old metal band shirt and a hoodie. She was tall, carried herself with confidence but her features seemed softer. “Well, let me know if you do build one. Or I’ll let you know if I build one.”

“Deal.” The two women approached the Jeep, Angela fishing out her key from her pocket to open up the door. “Hey Angie!”

Angela looked up at the greeting, now face to face with both Maru and the other woman. She was taller up close, easy smile on her face. “Hi.”

“Hi.”


	4. The Past That Haunts Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, another chapter. I had most of this started already but inspiration hit hard over the last couple of days that I managed to not only finish this, but also have snippets for future chapters written.
> 
> Hope this clears up some of Fareeha's past. Not all of it but it's a start.

Fareeha stared at the woman in front of her, bright blue eyes catching the glint of the street light. Her blonde hair was loose, framing her face as she watched them curiously. Fareeha kept the smile up, trying quell the blush that threatened to creep up onto her cheeks. “Doc! This is the new girl, Fareeha.” Maru said, introducing her to the doctor. “Fareeha, this is Angie.”

“Angela,” the woman quickly corrected, shifting the groceries to one arm to extend her hand. “Dr. Angela Ziegler.”

“Fareeha Amari,” she replied, shaking her hand. “The new girl, I guess.”

“I see Maru’s already bugging you,” Angela teased, Maru sticking out her tongue as she shoved the doctor playfully. “She was like that with me too.”

“Does it stop eventually?” Fareeha asked, Angela laughing at the question as Maru just grinned at her.

“NOPE.” the younger woman declared, Angela laughing some more at the answer. Fareeha laughed to, turning away to hide blush on her cheeks.

“Surprised you’re still out Maru. Isn’t your show on right now?” Angela said, looking at the watch in the middle of the town square. “What was it? Thunderboy?”

“Black Lightning! And no it starts in half an hour but thanks for reminding me,” Maru said, “See you tomorrow, Angela. Talk to you later, Fareeha!” 

“Bye,” She and Angela said in unison as they watched Maru run off behind the general store before turning to each other. Fareeha felt awkward standing with the doctor, mind going a mile a minute through various emotions but it was Angela who broke the silence between them. 

“How are you liking Pelican Town so far?” Angela asked with a smile.

“I...uh...It’s good. Lots to get used to. Maru’s been nice though. Lots of questions but nice. Everyone has been nice.” Fareeha stammered, eyeing her car. “I should get going. I don’t think the rest of my food should stay out any longer. It was nice to meet you, doctor.”

“You as well.” Angela said, opening the door to disappear inside as Fareeha got into her car.

Fareeha sighed, banging her head on the steering wheel before starting up her car. “Way to make a first impression, Fareeha. Way to go.”  She looked back at the clinic, remembering just how she stumbled with her words before driving back home.

* * *

“Shut the hell up, Lena.” Fareeha growled at the screen, throwing a piece of popcorn it, making Lena laugh harder. “She was cute. It’s not my fault.”

“You just said that you repeated the word “nice” three times in the entire conversation with her. You:  Fareeha Amari, Ms. ‘I’m suave as fuck. Deal with it!’, stumbled over your words for a doctor you just met. Let me enjoy this for a sec,” Lena replied, still mimicking her over the video call. 

“Her eyes though!” Fareeha defended, groaning into the pillow she was holding. 

“You’ve always been a sucker for eyes,” Lena pointed out, smiling.

“They were so blue that I froze. I froze…”

“Hey! Hey! Don’t go there, Ree. Don’t.” Lena called out, shifting so the Fareeha can see her eyes. “Stay with me Ree.”

“I’m here. I’m here…” Fareeha said, taking deep breaths after snapping back to her surroundings. She was still here. She was still here...

“Good. Now tell me all about this new life of yours. I’m glad that you get decent internet there. Your mobile service sucks balls though. 4 dropped calls before this one? Geez.”

“I knw right? At least one of their techs is okay. Paying out the ass for it though. Still less than what you pay but.”

“Amélie needs top tier since she works from home. Cant have anything but the best for my wife,” Lena stated, somehow proud of what she had to pay. “How have you been though? How’s everyone treatin’ ya?”

Fareeha laughed, the laugh coming out more bitter than she thought. “I..I’m in over my head, Lena. Everyone’s been nice, yeah... Maru and her friend Penny have shown me around town the last couple of days. Caroline and the rest of the towns people are so welcoming but…”

Lena stayed quiet, pained look on the younger woman’s eyes. “If anyone can do this, it’s you, Ree. You’ve never given up on anything. Not even me.”

“I would have never given up on you, Lena. You were under my command. My decision was the one -”

“No. We’ve talked about this Ree. You didn’t cause this,” Lena showed the bracelet on her wrist. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I wouldn’t have met Amelie if you weren’t so god damned persistent on getting me help on this! I wouldn’t be happily married to the woman of my dreams if it wasn’t for you. Don’t you forget that.”

The black and red bracelet made Fareeha bite her lip. She remembered the cause of Lena’s medic alert bracelet and shuddered. Why they let her into the Air Force, she still wasn’t sure. She had been a gifted pilot but the recent skirmish that injured both of them years back and what they later found out was a birth defect had caused Lena to go an epileptic seizure under her watch.

She had been her captain. She should have known.

“Hey! Ree! Stop that! Christ, I’m gonna find this Dr. Angela Ziegler in that town of yours and make her smack you, I swear.”

“You nearly died under my command, Lena…” Fareeha said quietly. “I gave you that order to practice that day…”

“Ree, we’ve talked about this. It was genetics that caused me to drop out of the sky like that. You didn’t know. I didn’t know. The Air Force didn’t know.” Lena assured her. “As painful as it was, I’m just thankful I lived through it.”

“Okay! Enough of this stuff! We can talk about that another day!” Lena cried out. “Pick up your bloody phone and show me around this new house of yours! I want the grand tour!”

Fareeha laughed, turning on her phone to load the application, making funny faces at her best friend before showing her around her new house.

* * *

She spent the rest of the week working on getting the house just as she wants it, Maru and Lewis occasionally stopping by to check on her but for the most part, she was left alone. Satisfied with the layout of her rooms, she turned her sights to the outside.

Fareeha frowned at the state of the farm. Years upon years of neglect showed on the land itself. She had set up a small rack outside with some tools she had bought, Fareeha scratching her head on how best to tackle this.

She did notice several wooden planks, making its way into the far end of the farm. Grabbing her axe, she followed the path, listening to the birds that chirped nearby. She knew this path, how overgrown it might be, she knew it like the back of her hand.

The greenhouse came to full view, Fareeha growling at the sight of it being collapsed. Robin did say that a tree had fallen on the thing but the sight of it just angered her. She loved that greenhouse, her grandfather used to keep flowers in there for her grandmother before she passed. There was a bench, where she and her grandparents used to sit, drink some tea that they had brought over.

Happier times. 

Fareeha eyed the shrine, seemingly cleaned up for something so old. Lewis, she knew, must have kept it up even if he wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of the farm. Runes flaired as Fareeha touched the shrine, remembering her grandfather’s words.

> _ “We...we are the land’s protectors, Fareeha. Being a protector of the land, it means respecting it. Making sure we only take what we need and we share the bounty with everyone, man or beast.” _
> 
> _ “Protect it from what, grandpa?” _
> 
> _ “Come,” he said, urging her to follow him, past the greenhouse, towards the shrine at the corner of the lot. “Magic comes from in many forms, both good and bad. The magic we use, that we’ve been entrusted with, is good. But it can also be used for bad, if we’re not careful and mindful of it.”  _
> 
> _ By the shrine stood Marlon and Gil, both holding onto chains of a shadow monster. Rasmodius stood by, uttering something in a language Fareeha couldn’t understand. Fareeha gasped, standing behind her grandfather but still following him closer to the monster. “There are monsters that come out only in the dark. Our family protects the citizens from these shadow creatures. It is our duty to do so.” _
> 
> _ The beast snarled, making Fareeha clutching onto her grandfather’s pants but Gil and Marlon held it back. Benjamin stepped closer, picking up the Silver Saber that was leaning against the greenhouse. With a quick stab in the chest, the creature shrieked, disappearing from before her eyes, leaving only what looked like a gleaming stone behind. “What are you doing?!” they heard from behind them, Fareeha whipping around to see her father, Sam glaring at the old men around her. “She’s 5! She doesn’t need to know of this!” _
> 
> _ “She’s the future of our family,” Benjamin replied, Sam grabbing hold of her as he pulled her away. “This is part of her…” _
> 
> _ “I don’t care if she is! She’s not going to take part of this! Not now. Not ever.” _

Fareeha opened her eyes again, remembering the last time she was here. With her father pulling her away from the other men. How heartbroken her grandfather seemed to look, the painful silence in the car ride that followed.

“No more. No more running from this,” Fareeha said, touching the runes again. She needed to find a way to fix her father’s mistake. To make it up to her grandfather.

But how?

Fareeha looked around the shrine, unable to decipher the runes itself. She remembered something about the language, but couldn’t place it in her mind. Shaking her head, she decided to start her clean up here, to start making up for lost time.

* * *

The rustle of leaves, along with the chirps of the birds were the only thing Angela could hear as she biked up the mountain path. The sun was peeking out of the clouds, a slight chill still in the air from this rare, supposed to be mild winter morning. She sighed, feeling the breeze in against her cheeks as she tugged the strap on her shoulder, adjusting the chair on her back, being mindful of the contents of her basket in front.

It had become her routine for her to come up here every Sunday morning, before everyone else was awake. It was rare that she would see someone else, maybe only Linus as he foraged for some food. If she did see him, she had a spare lunch and dinner packed specifically for the man.

Linus, as much as she offered to help him, was stubborn. Offers of food and shelter, even in the harshest of winter months were always declined, the excuse of “I can manage, thank you” always following. She didn’t know his story. Not yet. But Angela knew that whatever trauma from Linus’ past still haunted him. That she wouldn’t be able to force him to open up if she continued to pester him.

So she let him continue, keeping a mindful eye from a distance. The one time she did find him, out late at night, rummaging through the townspeople’s garbage was a huge awakening for her. George had thought it was a raccoon, still thinks it was a raccoon because she had lied to him. Linus explained to her how much the townspeople waste, especially now that Joja was in town. More and more were they just buying from the company because it was cheaper only for it to go to the garbage a couple of days later because it had spoiled. 

Angela thought of what he said, not knowing Gus was listening to until the man revealed himself. They worked out a plan with Linus that if he ever needs to eat - if ever he feels hungry - he can just ask them for it. Angela kept her tab paid up with Gus every week, paying for Linus as well. Gus had begun to cut back on waste, taking a hit on his profits to help serve better, sustainable food.

She soon saw Robin’s house, a big cottage sitting nicely against the cliff side. The house sat on a massive lot, apparently having been part of Robin’s family for years. Robin had told her that her father had built this new cottage from scratch, a project of love that was passed down to her. When her father passed, Robin got the property over the rest of her siblings, apparently causing some major quarrel among the family that had to be settled in court. Robin had won, deciding then to move permanently to the valley to set up shop and take care of a very young Sebastian. She had met Demetrius shortly after, the scientist charming his way into her heart, the two marrying not long after she had moved to the region. 

Angela biked past the house, passing by the odd bear statue she still didn’t understand before turning off the path towards her usual spot at the south-western shore of the lake. While fishing wasn’t her favourite childhood past time, she had grown to like during her time here. Although she preferred the beach and the sea, she found that this southern shore of the lake was better for more relaxed fishing. Here, she was able to set up her fishing pole on a couple of rocks, read until she got a nibble. She had been lucky thus far, catching at least some carp or bass every time she came up. It had made a nice meal for the day, if not later in the week. Willy also enjoyed selling her fish for her, offering to pay her for her catch which she had refused.

She found looked over and found someone at her spot, tilting her head in confusion before realizing who it was. Penny, Pam’s daughter sat at the edge of the lake, seemingly lost in her own world. Beside her was a small pile of books, a blanket and…

Angela frowned, it being far too early for a drink. From what she knew, Penny didn’t drink. Refused to because of her mother. Refused because, at least what Angela had been told, it had caused her father’s death. Angela took a deep breath, walking slowly but with sure steps towards the younger woman. “Hello,” she said cautiously. Penny whipped around, confused at her approach. “You’re up early as well, I see.”

“Oh, hello Angela,” Penny greeted, wiping the hand on her skirt as she stood back up. “I...I wasn’t expecting anyone here. I...I just wanted to find another place to read.”

Angela winked, “That’s why I’m here too. You wouldn’t mind some company, would you?”

“Not at all, please,” Penny signalled, moving some of her books aside. “Would you like some coffee? I made some.” Penny offered, pointing to the old rum bottle. “We..we didn’t have a clean thermos that I could use. It’s coffee, I swear.”

Angela breathed a sigh of relief, pushing the questions about the girl’s living conditions for another time. “I’d love some coffee. Would you like some of the cookies I baked?”

Penny smiled at Angela. “Yes, please.”

* * *

Fareeha smiled at her progress, the area around the shrine looking cleaner compared to the rest of the farm. She luckily bought a hose, finding that the old tap from the greenhouse still worked. The was able to clean off most of the grime and the moss that had built of up on the shrine.

She wondered how the candles would be lit, trying to remember how her grandfather lit them to no avail. Fareeha shrugged, grabbing the bucket and soap to start heading back inside.

_ “Hello Fareeha.”  _ She heard from behind her, making her freeze. _ ”You’ve grown.” _

She was hearing things. A byproduct of a long day, cleaning up the shrine bring up memories, she reasoned.  _ “Not going to say hi to your grandfather after all these years?” _

Fareeha gulped, willing herself to turn around. This couldn’t be. This isn’t real. Benjamin Roberts sat at the shrine, waving at her as she gawked at his form. It was ethereal, like one of her dad’s old movies. How the old man became one with the force, showing up at the end to celebrate the victory. “H...How...No...This is impossible. You’re not really here.” Fareeha said in disbelief. “I’m just tired. This is just my mind playing trick on me...”

Ben shook his head.  _ “You are tired, yes. But I’m afraid this is real. Magic runs deep in this valley, Fareeha. You already know this.”  _ he said, getting up from the shrine, same familiar cane still in his hands. 

“How then…” she started to ask, wanting to suspend her disbelief.

_ “Our family...those who helped protect the valley, are given...a sort of boon. Something to help us over generations. I...I was afraid you wouldn’t ever come back. That this,”  _ he motioned around them.  _ “Would forever be lost. It’s not bound just to us by blood, Fareeha, but there is magic that will help you understand it...I can’t explain it to you clearly but there are people in town who can.” _

“I had to come back. I...I felt lost….so lost out there.” Fareeha admitted, Benjamin giving her a pained smile. “I did what I could. I tried following ami’s and dad’s footsteps but that wasn’t for me. I tried so hard, grandpa.”

_ “I know you did,” _ Benjamin replied. 

Fareeha choked back her tears, the same familiar smile she remembered from her grandfather still reminding her of his warmth. Gods, she missed that warmth. “I’ll make it up to you grandpa. You’ll see. I’ll make the farm something you can be proud of.”

_ “I’m already proud of you, of your accomplishments and your failures. You’ve grown, in more ways than one,”  _ he said, touching her faintly, Fareeha feeling a shiver before feeling some warmth. _ “I’m happy you have returned. The valley needs us, needs you the most right now.” _

“What do you mean?” Fareeha asked, scared of the response. Was it the monsters that she saw before?

Benjamin’s smile disappeared, looking out towards the driveway, towards the town itself.  _ “There’s been a shift in balance. Started out a good number of years ago, all for the sake of greed and profit.” _

“Joja,” Fareeha whispered, Benjamin nodding.

_ “The others tried to stop them, but they failed. They’re tearing up the mountain as we speak, causing ancient magics to spring up again. Magic that we have sealed for a long time.” _

“What can I do to help?”

_ “Find Marlon and Gil. Speak with Lewis and Rasmodius. They will know what to do, how else to go about this. The townspeople...they will be with you as well. They’re good people, Fareeha. They love this valley, this community more than anything. You and the other will need each other’s to push back the old magic, keeping the valley safe one more.” _

“The other?” Fareeha questioned, Benjamin walking back to the shrine.

_ “You’ll know who it is. Don’t worry.” _


	5. Rat Problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait there. Super busy with work and other stuff but with one project 60% complete and the other project already in it's final stages, I do have more time to work on this.
> 
> Sort of filler chapter. Sorry there isn't much fun that happens in here but it had to be written. Hopefully, I'll get through all these boring, world building stuff before Chapter 10 then we can just focus on the 2 love birds. Thank you for reading!

Fareeha paced the length of her bedroom, not sure what to make of what happened the previous night. Did she believe it? Fareeha bit her lip, eyes focusing on the floorboard as she stopped.

She did. All of this...All of it made sense to her.

Somehow.

She had driven to the town immediately after the conversation with her grandfather’s ‘ghost’, not really knowing how else to explain the ethereal being talking to her. She tried to find Lewis but the man proved to be elusive. She did note the opening hours of the local library, Fareeha looking up to the clock on the wall to see that she can almost go visit it and possibly get some answers from there.

_ “Find Marlon and Gil. Speak with Lewis and Rasmodius.” _

The words repeated in her mind, the 4 names that could possibly help her with understanding all of this. She did still have a couple of hours before she could head to town, she realized. She eyed the couple of small plants she had under a makeshift heat lamp (she’d have to build one properly when it became milder) and sighed. It was still far too cold to plant anything. She walked over to the kitchen, digging out the box of seeds she had bought and eyed each one carefully.

The parsnips seeds left to her by Lewis caught her eye, the note from him still attached to it saying it was a welcoming gift from him. It wasn’t much but she appreciated it regardless. Other seeds; garlic, potatoes, some rhubarb and cauliflower were all neatly filed and labelled in the box, split by the most ideal time to plant them.

She looked at the parsnips again, grabbing one full pouch of the three before grabbing her jacket. The crisp morning air greeted her, the smells of the pine trees filling her lungs as she walked down the steps towards the shed she had set up nearby.

Fareeha cleared a small patch in closeby, a small 3x3 grid to test the seeds. She found some odd looking seeds, not sure what to make of them that she set aside before planting the parsnips. Happy with her test area, found an old bucket, remembering the hose was still by the greenhouse and sighed. Another item to add to her list of things she had to fix. She groaned, eyeing her surrounds for a nearby water source when she remembered the old fish pond. 

The area was surrounded by tall grass and stones now, the fish pond’s waters not looking as clear as it did years ago. Fareeha wondered what happened to the fish, shaking her head as she dipped the bucket in the water. She saw cans and garbage in the pond, eyes narrowing at the evidence of what had caused the change.

Someone or some people must have been going on the farm while it was abandoned. She added the clean up of the pond to her ever growing list of things to do as she walked back to her test patch, watering the newly planted seeds, before looking around the rest of the farm.

She would make this work. Put the plan she thought of in place, the sketches on her drafting board proof of her ideas. 

Now, it’s just a matter of how to execute it.

* * *

The sight of a mostly empty town square was still strange to her. Fareeha had lived most of her adult life...well most of her life after the military, in a city. It was rare to get a peaceful moment like this when you’re surrounded by thousands upon thousands of people all of time.

She parked her car at the doctor’s again, reminding herself she really should go in one of these days to get her info switched over. Maru had told her she could do it for her but she hadn’t found the time.

It was eerie; the sereneness of the town in the early afternoon. She assumed most if not all of the townspeople were at work or at the saloon. Crossing the square, she passed by Pierres, seeing a notice for a fresh parsnip on the corkboard outside. Fareeha smiled, grabbing the notice and tucking it into her jacket as she continued past the general store towards the bridge.

Maru and Penny had given her a small tour last week, Fareeha glad that she took their offer instead of being confused now. The girls pointed out the Jacob’s house on their tour, telling her about Evelyn and George and their grandson Alex. Maru swore up and down that Evelyn made the best cookies and snacks while Penny explained to her that Evelyn took care of the town’s flowers for free. Fareeha made a note to ask Evelyn later for some pointers, hoping the older woman would know a thing or two about what flowers would be best for her plans on an orchard.

The bridge across the river came into view, the gleaming facade of the Joja Mart coming to view. Fareeha glared at the offending sight, memories of years lost to the company making her ball her hand up in her jacket as she got closer. Feelings of regret, of abandoning her team filled her but they knew she was at her rope’s end. Every chance she got to change things for them for the good, was shot down. The rate of people hired versus those she was able to retain was minimal enough she could count them in one hand. The constant demands of the company drove people out in droves, many of her friends leaving long before her and she often wondered if she should have left sooner.

It didn’t matter now though. She had left. Escaped Joja’s ever constant need for more to this new life.

She turned down the path, watching as the Joja Mart truck pulled into the parking lot. She vaguely remembered the far exit of the town, remembering a small diner there before it became the highway again.

Turning down the road, she marvelled at the stillness of the river that ran on this side of the town. She wondered if there was any fish in there, her thoughts going back to the fish pond at the farm.

She remembered some koi and goldfish her father had bought as a gift the last time they were ever there. How happy she was to present her grandfather ‘Nemo’ and ‘Fishy’. She laughed to herself upon remembering the names. Fareeha watched as Emily walked past her, giving her a small wave as she hurried down the path towards the southern bridge. The green facade of the library/museum came into view, Fareeha breathing a sigh of relief when the sign still showed open.

“I’m sure we can find things to put back in here,” she heard a familiar voice say as she opened the door. Penny was patting a man’s shoulder, Lewis also there scratching his head. All three turned to look at her, Fareeha having the urge to turn right back around but Lewis was there. She needed to speak to him too.

“Sorry. Did I come at a bad time?” Fareeha asked, closing the door behind her and not moving.

“No. No, it’s fine,” the sniffling man said, turning around to put his hat back on. “Welcome to the Stardew Valley Library and Museum. At least…” the man sighed. “What’s left of it.”

“The police has been alerted, Gunther. He wouldn't have gotten far.” Penny reassured, handing Gunther another tissue. “Sorry about this Fareeha. It’s just that the old curator, Jacques…”

“Curse him to all eternity!” Gunther yelled out. “He took everything. EVERYTHING. Gods I was blind as to why he insisted I go with Willy on that trip. I should have known.”

Fareeha lifted her hand but Lewis shook his head at her, motioning for her to follow him deeper into the museum. Books had been missing from the shelves of the library but when they reached the display rooms, she finally understood Gunther’s distress.

Minerals and gem displays were now all gone. Artifacts from an ancient time along with bones now empty except for the small amount of dust that has since settled there. Lewis sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry you had to see that. Gunther is normally more reserved but to have his boss and mentor just leave him, taking everything he worked for…” 

“It’s nothing. Really. I’m just not sure how I can help with all of this,” Fareeha said, motioning to the empty space.

“Speak to Gunther later in the week. I’m sure he’ll accept your help then. For now, it’s best to just leave him be,” Lewis advised. “I’m glad to hear you’d want to help though. You just met him today.”

Fareeha gave him a pained smile. “I’ve been in his shoes. Someone taking all the credit for your work. I get it. But can I talk to you about the farm?”

“Sure.” Lewis said, motioning for her to follow him. “Penny, are you going to be okay with him?”

“Yeah.” the girl said, giving them a small smile. “I’ll calm him down and help catalog what was stolen. I’ll give you the details later.”

“Thanks!” Lewis replied, Fareeha giving Penny as small wave as she followed the mayor outside. “You need help with the farm?”

“More like I need information about the family shrine,” she said, falling in step with him. “I...I saw my grandfather.” Lewis said nothing at the revelation. “I’m guessing you’ve seen him too.”

“Before the construction yes. Had to ask him to approve of it.” Lewis clarified, both of them smiling at a young blond man as he sat by the river. “But yes, I’ve spoke to your grandfather.”

“He asked me to speak to you. About Joja, the mountain and its mines.” Fareeha tried remembering what was said to her. “About another? I’m not sure what he meant by that.”

Lewis pressed his lips together, nodding at what she’s said. “It’s true that Joja’s presence has shifted a lot of the balance in the valley. More and more are people putting their personal needs more than the community. Joja...Joja’s using the valley pretty much as an experiment of sorts. For expansion into other things.”

“The mines…” Fareeha clued in. She remembered her last days in Joja, the NDA agreement she had to force her team to sign, even if she didn’t want to sign it herself.  _ JJC Extraction Ltd _ she recalled was one of the names on the websites they had to build. “They’re expanding into mining and minerals.”

“I think, and this is just between you, me, and a couple of others that I trust, that what happened at the museum has something to do with the mines and Joja. For years now, they’ve been trying to get into the mines. But there was a landslide recently that has blocked the path.” Lewis explained as they continued to walk, both of them now by the saloon. “They needed samples of local mineral and materials they can gather. Without access to the mines, I assume they got hold of Jacques, bribed him to give the samples Gunther and his family had collected over the years for their own profit. 

Fareeha sighed, “Sounds like Joja alright.”

“Getting into the mines...it’s easier said than done. I have friends who live on the other side of that lake who are working on clearing it out for us, but it’ll take them sometime. Joja’s haste on working the mines again woke some powerful, ancient magic that had an effect throughout the valley.” Lewis confided in Fareeha, Fareeha noticing now they were near the park above the clinic and general store. Maru waved at them as they approached, a tall man and the doctor standing beside them. “That magic has had an effect in here too.” 

“What’s in there?” Fareeha asked, nodding at the people in front.

“You’ll see,” Lewis said, motioning for her to follow.

* * *

Angela raised an eyebrow as she saw Lewis come up the steps, Fareeha in tow. The farmer had avoided most of the townspeople for the most part, but she knew Maru and Penny had been showing her around. Maru had filled her in about details of the farmer; how she used to live in one of the biggest cities in the world before this move. That her hatred (a strong word for Angela’s tastes) for her former employer was something that would make the farmer freeze. Maru hinted that Fareeha might have a military background, unsurprising given that most of the town had military connections one way or another.

But the farmer was still a mystery to her. Caroline and Jodi were gossiping about how they were expecting the same scrawny, nerdy girl from years ago. But to have Fareeha here now…

“You say this is a rat problem. Why am I here?” Fareeha asked, Angela snapping back to attention to the conversation at hand.

“There are no rats,” Maru explained. “Not in the...conventional sense.”

Angela turned to look at the girl, but Fareeha beat her to the question. “Conventional sense?”

“It’s easier to show you guys,” Demetrius advised, unlocking the padlock and removing the chain around the door handles. “These...creatures aren’t hostile. They’ve been around longer than us, probably.”

“Creatures?” she asked, Fareeha seemingly not fazed by the revelation. “What type of creatures?”

Maru gave her a small smile, pushing the door open for to let them into the town hall. Still air greeted them, the faint smell of old books and rotting wood mixed in with it. Angela saw a shattered aquarium at one of the corners, a small hut on the opposite one. Maru placed a finger on her lips, Angela following as quietly as she could as Lewis, Fareeha and Demetrius came in after her.

The hut seemed to have been made out of materials from the valley; small leaves from the blackberry bushes she’s seen along the side of the road made up the roof while oak and pine bark made up the hut itself. Angela saw something out of the corner of her eye, head turning towards the sight but it was already gone.

She looked behind her, and saw the intense stare Fareeha held at the same spot she saw the creature at. The farmer made eye contact with her, giving her a small nod, acknowledging that she too saw whatever that was. 

“This way,” Maru said, passing the hut. “Don’t touch the hut. Please. We’ll explain in here.”

She felt Fareeha come closer to her, the farmer holding a more defensive stance compared to before, as if she’s done this before. Angela followed Maru, Lewis and Demetrius taking up the rear. Maru led them to a mostly empty room except for the glowing book in the middle of it. Angela watched as Maru rounded it, whispering something in a language she couldn’t place and the glowing grew brighter.

Fareeha was beside her now, eyes narrowing at the object on the ground. They noticed a noise from below them, a small creature the size of an apple jumping up and down at their feet. Angela yelped, grabbing onto Fareeha as the other pushed her body in front defensively. 

The creature continued to jump up and down, eventually moving away from them only for two more, in different colours to come forward. “What...what are these?”

“Junimos,” Fareeha muttered, Angela turning towards her. Fareeha bent down, the two creatures moving away as she got closer. “I...I remember these.”

“You do?” Maru asked, looking at her father and Lewis. “How? These creatures are recent. Like 6 months ago recent.”

Fareeha laughed, Angela watching the woman as she laid her palm out on the ground, the braver of the two creatures climbing on top as it got lifted up. “Grandpa had bought me a toy. A Giant plush that I called Smithy. Big green thing that looked exactly like this.”

Angela tilted her head. “Was it named for a granny smith apple?” 

Fareeha turned to her, grin lighting up her face. “Good guess. You’re the first one to actually get it right the first time.”

“They do look like tiny apples,” Angela admitted, bending down herself to take a close look at the creatures. “What are they though?”

“These...this is our rat problem.” Lewis said, taking his cap off to scratch his head. “They’ve taken over the entire place and we’re not sure what to with them.”

“They’re not hostile. It’s like they’re stuck here but we’re not sure how to help them out.” Demetrius advised, handing Angela over a tablet with notes.  

She looked over the details, skimming through it. Most of it made sense except for… “Gelatinous spectral anomaly in likeliness to those in the mines?” Angela asked, standing up. “What?” Lewis and Demetrius looked at each other, both men not meeting Angela’s gaze. “What is this about the mines?”

“There’s ancient magic throughout this valley,” Fareeha replied, putting the Junimo down. “The mines...they’re the heart of it. Whatever Joja is doing...they woke something that shouldn’t have been touched.”

“Unfortunately, our resident wizard is gone for a while,” Maru said, sighing. “With Jacques stealing everything that might be helpful and Rasmodius being gone back to his home country, we might not be able to fix this before Morris harasses the Lewis again.”

Angela nodded, trying to process everything. She didn’t believe in this ‘magic’ they were saying but these...these creatures were here. She had touched one and more seemed to have appeared since they all came. This was nothing she’s ever seen before. Fareeha’s voice cut through her thoughts, making her turn to towards the farmer.

“Could you repeat that Fareeha?” she asked.

“The shrine on the farm. Grandpa. If we show him these runes, he might be able to translate them. We’d have to copy these runes and show it to him,” Fareeha repeated, taking out her phone to take a picture of the slate, frowning when the picture  didn’t come out. “Thought that would work.”

Angela noticed that Demetrius and Lewis were talking amongst themselves, Maru looking around for something they could write with. “Why don’t I run back to the office, grab us a pen and some paper and we can take this down and show your grandfa...Grandfather?”

“Yeah.” Fareeha replied, looking in her jacket to see if there was something she could write on. 

“Your...dead grandfather?”

Fareeha stopped and just smiled at her, Angela blushing slightly at the warmness that came naturally with it. “About that...”


	6. The Magic of the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't abandon this. Don't worry. This chapter was slow coming due to lack of motivation and no time to write, really. So many other things done but now that 2 of my major projects are done and the other two can be done with this, I'm hoping for more frequent updates and also, possibly a new story. We shall see.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting. If you haven't yet, and you have the PC version of Stardew Valley, please go check out the MP. It's a lot of fun.

 ~~17 years ago~~

Angela smiled as she peeked out from behind the curtain, noticing her grandmother in the audience with her sister. Grandma Dahlia was her favourite (which was skewed to the woman since she was the last of her grandparents but regardless), Grandma Daisy being a close second. The sisters seemed to be talking amongst themselves when the dean introduced himself, the auditorium coming to a hush.

This was her 2nd graduation in so many years, the first one for neuroscience only attended by her grandmother. This time around, Daisy had come out from far away (she never really pinpointed it nor did her great-aunt ever elaborate) but it was nice to see both women beam with pride when she was introduced as class valedictorian.

The ceremony passes by in a blur, the celebrations extending this time to her grandma’s house where the rest of the family had gathered for dinner. Grandma Daphne had prepared most of the meal, aided by Grandpa Dianthus, both apparently bickering the entire time according to her aunts and uncles.

It was then she heard of Grandma Diascia’s house, out in Stardew Valley and how she had separated from her husband. Grandma Dahlia’s youngest sister, Angela remembered, was more...aloof than the rest of the siblings. Angela didn’t even realize the woman was married, her grandmother and her siblings reverting back to a language she could only make out a couple of words on.

“Here,” Grandma Daisy said, giving her a small wrapped present after everyone had left for the evening and it was only the 3 of them left in the house. “When the time comes, you’ll understand what this is. I only hope you are ready by then.”

“Ready for what?” Angela asked, opening the present to reveal a glass charm, blue and yellow ink seemed to be trapped inside. It felt warm to the touch, Angela looking up to see a solemn look on both her grandmothers faces.

“Somethings aren’t what they seem, Angela,” Grandma Dahlia explained, taking one bite of her finger, enough to make it bleed. Angela gasp, wondering what why her grandmother would do such a thing when the older Ziegler walked up and touched the stone. Angela was awestruck, watching the wound seal itself, confusion in her eyes as she looked between both older women. “Come. It’s time to teach you about our family history.”

“Family history?” Angela questioned.

Grandma Daisy chuckled, flicking her an ancient coin, engraving on it indecipherable but familiar somehow. “The history of Witches, young one.”

* * *

Angela woke with sun already shining into the bedroom, alarm set to go off any minute. Reaching over to turn it off, her hand reflexively wandered to the glass charm around her neck. She hadn’t thought of her grandmothers since Grandma Dahlia passed 4 years ago, Grandma Daisy passing more than a decade ago.

The revelation of her lineage, apparently coming from ancient Germanic witches that were sought after by the Romans themselves had always made her skeptical of the accuracy of these tales. Even the photos her Grandmothers had shown her didn't shake her resolve, knowing there is a perfectly logical and scientific explanation for an unknown phenomenon just waiting to be found.

But yesterday… Yesterday made her question everything.

The junimos were one thing. The tiny creatures were harmless and rather friendly from what she had gathered from their brief interaction. Her brain had already made the assumption that junimos were just native fauna, completely unique to the town and the area. They would jump, wave, and, at least to Fareeha, they would all gather, as if the farmer had something magnetic about her.

Which she did but Angela shook her head at that revelation. Now was not the time to think those thoughts when they had a problem in their hands.

Fareeha seemed intent on trying to solve the slabs, the fact there were multiple slabs throughout the town hall meant they were trying to convey something. The unfortunate fact that they now had to decipher all the slabs meant they’d have to tell more people about this without alerting Joja of these creatures. Fareeha copied the writing on the first slab, offering to drive to the farm immediately to talked it over with her grandfather, even offered dinner for the trouble.

She was sure Fareeha was joking. Speaking to the undead was a myth. Ghosts and other beings from the afterlife were mere stories used to scare people away from places they weren’t meant to be in.

But she was a witch. A descendant of one (and one with minimal training) but a witch she was nonetheless. Weirder things have happened, she rationalised.

Seeing the spectral form of Benjamin Roberts though… Seeing tired but jovial eyes look at her, politely conversing with his granddaughter was something else. Seeing Fareeha talk to him as if he was still alive, holding up the piece of paper in her hands before deflating when the man could only make out a couple of the words, Lewis joking with the spectral form made her rethink what it was that she considered ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’.

She was warned multiple times by the residents that there was something about the valley. Something magical.

Maybe it was time to try and find her great-aunt Diascia. Time to reconnect and figure out what this magic in this valley truly is.

With a sigh, Angela sat up, the sounds of Ediel filling the living room already, ready to start another working day.

* * *

Fareeha stretched, watering can still in hand as she finished up with the parsnips. The plots still showed nothing but she knew it would be at least a couple of weeks before she sees any real progress with them and the plants she had growing in the dining room.

She set the watering can down, eyeing her surroundings before settling on the fish pond. It wasn’t too deep, the whole big enough to house a handful of koi like when she was younger but it was now filled with trash. To drain and clean it would be a task on its own, clearing the rest of the farm by hand already an enormous task to undertake.

 _“I know you can do it, Fareeha,”_ she heard briefly, making her turn towards the shrine. No “ghost” sat at the shine but she still felt her grandfather’s presence. _“Take your time. There’s no need to rush these things.”_

“Am I in over my head?” she asked out loud, sitting herself at the steps of the deck. “I’m an engineer, not a farmer.”

_“I’m sure you’ll think of a way. You and your father had always been brilliant on building things.”_

Fareeha gave a small smile, looking over the property again. With a sigh, she picked up the watering can, heading to the shed to swap it for an axe and hedge trimmers, coming back out with more confidence than before. “No time like the present, I guess.”

* * *

 

Fareeha huffed, leaning against one of the trees at the far end of the farm. She had managed to make a path from the farm house to the back entrance, completely forgetting about this entrance. She remembered that it lead down the small hill, towards a small lake and a series of rivers she never fully explored when she was younger. She made a mental note to find the solar path lights she had bought (and to buy more) to illuminate the path, also to find the pickaxe she had found from before to clear the small boulders that lines the path as well.

Fareeha pulled out her cell phone, cursing as she saw the time. She had missed lunch and it was almost time for dinner, meaning she had to run back to the house to try and make it to Pierre's before he closed. As if to emphasize her point, her stomach let out a big growl, making her frown the entire way to the house. Putting the tools away, she wondered if there was anything she was able to cook.

A quick look in the fridge confirmed her suspicion that there was definitely nothing she could cook, making her curse her own attentiveness or lack of it. She’d have to buy dinner, again, she realized, Fareeha frowning at the prospect. Gus’ food was exceptional but she had just started to make headway on cooking again. It was the one thing she was looking forward to doing once she decided on the move, her previous work making her buy more food than what she really wanted.

After a quick shower and change, Fareeha reluctantly drove to the town, parking once again at the doctor's office before crossing the square to the Saloon. Music was playing, most of the townsfolk seemingly out on the Friday night as everyone seemed to have turned toward her. “Fareeha! Welcome!” Gus greeted, a round of greetings from the other occupants filing the room as she waved awkwardly at everyone. A quick glance around the saloon made her realize she didn't recognize most of the people in it.

She sat herself at the bar, placing her phone on the bar as Emily gave her a smile as she poured some beer, pointing if she wanted some too. Fareeha shook her head, mouthing water and getting a nod from the woman as she placed a menu in front of her before going to make her rounds.

Fareeha took a glance at the menu, taking note of a couple menu items before looking around the saloon again. Lewis and a woman she didn’t recognize seemed to be chatting, the woman giggling every so often, making the mayor blush. Robin and Demetrius seemed to be dancing while a couple of men drank at a different table, playing cards it seemed.

 “Anything for you?” Emily asked, Fareeha nodding, flipping over the menu.

“Any specials today?”

“Friday is fish day. We have some steamed bass, freshly caught by the doc over there and halibut fish and chips, halibut courtesy of Willy.” Emily informed her, setting down a glass of water. “Otherwise, soup of the day is clam chowder or split pea barley.”

“I’ll have the steamed bass with some mashed potatoes,  if you don’t mind,” Fareeha ordered, getting an enthusiastic nod from Emily. “Dr. Ziegler caught the bass?”

“She did! She loves to fish. She and Willy can talk endlessly about it. Benefits us though, since whatever she catches, she usually sells to us.” Emily explained. “Angela is a woman of many talents. Knows a little about herbology too.”

Fareeha nodded, thanking her for the water as she glanced around the room. Dr. Ziegler seemed off to the side, talking to a red haired woman, both sipping some wine. At a glance, she could see that who ever the other woman was enamored with whatever the doctor was saying, smiling and adding something every time the doctor paused. Fareeha reminded herself to thank the doctor after he meal, looking at the back to the saloon to the group of young adults that were playing billiards. She had seen the purple haired girl in Pierre’s shop before, stacking items or sweeping up at the end of the day. She didn't seem to be paying much attention to her friends as they played, eyes on her phone with a smile.

The other two seemed to be focused on their game, both looking at angles for their next shots. Gus set down her food in front of her, Fareeha thanking him as she took her first sip of the soup. It wasn’t her favourite but it was filling and that’s what mattered. “Growing anything on the farm yet?” he asked, cleaning more of the glasses. Fareeha nodded, setting down the spoon.

“A couple of parsnips and I’ve started a tiny herb garden inside the house,” Fareeha informed him, pulling out her phone to show Gus. “I’m hoping the parsnips will be good. Have to chart growth times and plan for bigger plots if they work well.”

“You sound exactly like your grandmother, may she rest in peace,” Gus said, giving Fareeha a smile. “She was the one who would try and plan everything and i remembered seeing her binder full of charts, graphs and she was a wealth of knowledge when it came to farming. Your grandpa might have been the one in charge of the animals and fruit trees but when it came to crops, your grandma was the best.”

“What happened to the binder?” Fareeha asked, curiosity piqued.

“She trusted it to a friend, I believe,” Gus nodded towards Angela’s table, Fareeha giving him a confused look. “Leah’s grandparents used to vacation in the cottage she now lives in. Your  grandma and Leah’s grandma shared a lot a gardening secrets, along with Evelyn. Those three were close. Might want to ask her.”

“I will. Thanks.” Fareeha eyed Angela’s companion closely, going back to eating her food as she thought how to best approach the group. Emily poured her some more water, sliding over a small slice of pie with a wink before making her rounds again. She looked back at the table, Leah drawing on the table as Angela listened closely. With a sigh, gathered her nerve to approach the table, downing the rest of her water before approaching the pair. “Hello. Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all!” Leah replied, gesturing to the empty chair at the table. “I was wondering when I’d finally meet you. Leah Templeton, one of your neighbours to the south.”

“Fareeha Amari, your neighbour to the north,” Fareeha replied, shaking Leah’s hand. She watched Angela look at the exchange with curiosity but didn’t say anything. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting something.”

“You weren’t! Angie and I were just talking about a different route we can do for our foraging round.”

“Angela,” the doctor corrected, shooting Leah a glare that the other woman seemed to ignore.

“Dr. Ziegler and I have developed a mutual partnership when it comes to the forageable food. The valley is rich when it comes to natural resources. We keep an eye out for possible decay of the wildlife too.” Leah explained, giving Angela a smile that made the doctor turn away. “

“Are there a lot of forageable food around here?” Fareeha asked, noting the blush on the doctor’s cheeks now. “I haven’t really noticed.”

“There’s lots of wild berry bushes to the north and the southern lakes. There’s some wild spring onions that will start to pop up soon not to mention the wild mushrooms. You should come with us some time.” Leah offered.

“I may, if the doctor doesn’t mind me tagging along again,” Fareeha replied, watching Angela reaction to the offer. The doctor remained neutral, but there was a brief frown that Fareeha saw. “She has seen a lot of me recently.”

Leah’s eyebrow rose, Angela shaking her head at the information. “Fareeha is helping the Mayor, Demetrius and I with the ongoing...rat problem…in the community centre. One we still don’t have a solution to, Captain Amari.”

“Ah, but Dr. Ziegler,” Fareeha replied with a smile. “We’re just getting started.”

* * *

“And that’s why you should night fish, Angie,” Leah proclaimed, walking wobbly in front of them. Angela guided the woman across the town square, looking back to see an amused smile on Fareeha’s face. “It’s calmer and I bet you there’s some really good fish. You can also skinny dip like we -”

Angela swiftly covered Leah’s mouth, gently guiding her towards the doctor’s office. “You can sleep on my couch tonight, Leah. You always over do it…”

“Noooo..I want my own bed,” Leah complained, now leaning up against the street light. “And your pet bird is going to wake me up too early.”

“I can drive her home, if you want,” Fareeha offered, pointing to her car. “You can come with me if you want then I’ll drive you back.”

“I don’t want to impose,” Angela replied, trying to heft Leah up again, Leah giggling as she tried.

“You’re cute when you’re like this, Angie,” Leah cooed as she tried to stand taller. “I can walk home! It’s fine!”

Fareeha laughed as she took up the other side, helping hold up the woman as she fished out her keys from her pocket. “Better have her home safe than her walking around town drunk.”

Angela nodded, hearing the car unlock from a distance. The rest of the walk was filled with Leah going on about fruits, art and a person that she kept cursing out as Kay. The drive was a lot quieter, Angela sat in the back with Leah, directing Fareeha down the road towards the artist’s cabin.

The drive didn’t take long, Fareeha helping her take Leah inside, Angela taking some time to get Leah out of her clothes into some pajamas before leaving some water and aspirin on the nightstand, locking the door and slipping the keys back inside via the mail slot. “Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime,” Fareeha said, unlocking the car once again. Angela looked around the cabin, the still waters of the river just south reflecting some of the moon’s light. She would have to consider night fishing sometime, she thought, looking back to where Fareeha stood.

Fareeha gave her a smile, patiently waiting, now lit but the moon’s light as well. “Peaceful down here. I’d have to explore it later.”

A low growl came from the bushes, making both of them turn, to see a walking creature coming towards them. Fareeha glared, motioning for Angela to stay quiet as the woman picked up a stray branch off the ground. Angela nodded, tiptoeing towards the woman when she felt something grab her. “AH!~!”

“Angela!” Fareeha yelled, batting the creature back with the stick she held, the creature backing away from the assault. Fareeha grabbed her hand, pulling her behind as she kept the creature away. “I don’t know what you are, nor do I really care, but stay away from us.”

Another low growl came from beside her, Angela backing up towards the car, Fareeha just in front of her. She heard the click of the doors unlocking, opening the back doors immediately, pulling Fareeha in with her as they closed the doors. “What...what’s happening?”

“I don’t know. And I really don’t want to stick around to find out.” Fareeha replied, moving herself from the back seat to the front. A loud thud came from behind them, and again in front of them as the growls became louder. A growl escaped Fareeha herself, starting the car only to immediately floor it, running over the creature in front of them. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine...I’m fine.” Angela said, looking at where she was grabbed. Dark red scratches marred her arms, black and purple bruises already forming around it.  “I’ll be okay. Thank you.”

Fareeha nodded, keeping her eyes on the road as they drove back into town, parking right in front of the office. “I’ll come check on you in the morning. Just to be sure.”

“Thank you, Fareeha.”

“Anytime,” Fareeha replied, Angela leaving the car to head inside her home. She headed inside, closing the door behind her, finally letting out a sigh of relief. It was only then did she hear the car drive off again. Locking the door, Angela looked at her arm again, taking the necklace off to put it on the wound, healing it and the bruises instantly.

She stared at the necklace in her hands, breathing a heavy sigh before putting it back on. She had to find her Grandma’s sister in the Valley. Find out how they were part of this.

And more importantly, why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wilderness Golems from the Combat map? In my woods? More likely than you think.


End file.
